


Guardian Angel

by KingHelios33



Series: Drowned in Ink AU [9]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angels, Explanations, Gen, It's basically an explanation of something that happened in my big story "Drowned in Ink"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-17 22:17:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19964110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingHelios33/pseuds/KingHelios33
Summary: It's been nearly four years since the Ink Machine Incident, and Henry still wonders where he got his powers from that helped him save the studio. He ponders this for a while. However, he doesn't have to think about it much longer. Turns out, his guardian angel was watching him, and they know he wants an answer.





	Guardian Angel

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! Man, it's been a while since I've written a BATIM story for my AU, huh?  
> I've had this story in the works for a while, because I really wanted to come up with a sorta explanation to Henry's angel powers in "Drowned in Ink." I had to think about it for a while, and then I sat down and wrote this.  
> I hope you like it, I know I enjoyed writing it!

Henry looked down at his hands as he sat in his office in the studio. His hands were lying flat on the wooden surface of his desk, slightly trembling. His blue eyes squinted as he lifted one, turning it over so he could look at his palm. His eyes traced over all of the lines and creases. Nothing looked out of the ordinary about it, and that was what confused him.

How long had it been since the Ink Machine Incident now? Three and a half years? And though Joey had explained a lot of what happened, there was something that the animator still never understood, something that went without explaining, something that no one knew the reason for.

Why did Henry become an angel when he was on the edge of death and gain the powers he used to save the studio?

It wasn’t something that he really questioned right after the Incident. The animator had just accepted it at the time. Maybe someone was really watching over him and had decided that it wasn’t his time yet. And maybe they had decided to let him save his friends. He had just accepted that fate had released him from its cruel maw and was going to give him a chance.

Henry frowned as he sat back in his chair, putting his hands on his chest. What would have happened that day if he hadn’t been blessed by whatever this power was? What would have happened to the studio, his friends, Joey, and everyone outside the studio? Henry shuddered at the thought. He knew that from what Allison had told him that Joey had said he was going to test his powers on their friends before breaching the studio after thinking he had killed Henry. But what would have happened after that? Would Joey’s madness have engulfed the town where they resided? How far would Joey have gone had Henry not freed him from the dark magic that had been controlling him?

Henry shook his head, trying to focus back on what he had originally been thinking about. Who was that figure that appeared in the darkness where he was on the edge of death? The one who gave him the powers he needed to save his friends? And where had he been that they had found him?

_ I can tell you everything you need to know, Henry. _

Henry jumped. That voice. It was the voice of the figure! The one who gave him his powers! He hadn’t heard their voice since the Incident, and he was surprised he recognized it. He walked to the door, peering out to see if anyone was around. 

_ No one is there, Henry. You’re alone. Everyone else is working. _

He closed the door to his office and leaned on it. He looked up, not seeing any sign of anyone else in the room with him. “Who… who are you,” he asked softly.

_ You remember me, don’t you, Henry? _

He could hear the voice in his head again and frowned a bit. “Well, I remember your face. But you never told me your name.”

_ Oh, silly me. Well, I didn’t think it was important at the time of our first meeting. My apologies. _

Henry waved hand, feeling like, though he couldn’t see them, they could see him. “It’s alright. I would like to know your name now though.”

The figure was quiet for a moment. And until their voice came again, he thought they had been scared off. However, their voice breached his mind again.

_ How about we talk somewhere more… private, Henry? _

He nodded and was suddenly taken over by a feeling of deep exhaustion. It was like all his energy had been sapped away by something unseen and he nearly fell on his face to the floor. Henry dropped to his knees and tried to fight the feeling. 

_ Don’t fight it, Henry. It’s the only way I can bring you to see me. Just close your eyes and relax. _

Henry nodded uselessly and felt himself slip away from reality, his body flopping to the floor of his office.

*****

When he was awake again, Henry’s eyes were closed. He felt like he was floating, like he wasn’t touching the ground. He was surrounded by a soft feeling of warmth that spread through his whole form and made him feel… at peace. It was like all the troubles of the real world had melted away and left him.

_ Henry? _

Henry lightly shook his head. He wanted to stay cradled by this wonderful feeling.

_ Henry, wake up. We have much to talk about. _

The animator managed to get his eyes to flutter open. There, standing in front of him was the figure, the figure of white with gray lined features who had helped him so long ago. They had one hand on the other in front of them, with a soft smile on their features. They tilted their head.  _ It’s about time you woke up, sleepyhead.  _ Their voice was calm, kind, with an ethereal echoing to it.

Henry yawned and managed to get into a standing position, looking to the figure again. They were… taller than he remembered. Henry was a big man at the height of 6’0”, but the figure seemed to be a whole foot taller than he was. They also looked a little different than before. While they still wore a gown the same color as their body, they had a halo and wings… a very familiar halo and familiar pair of wings.

Henry realized this and raised a brow. “Hey… aren’t those--”

_ The wings and halo you used during the Ink Machine Incident? Why, yes, yes they are. _ The figure chuckled at his sudden surprise at their words.  _ They were used by you, but they’re technically mine. _

Henry tilted his head. “Then… why did you let me use them? If they belong to you, why did I get to use them?”

_ Because you needed them more than me at the time, Henry. You needed them to save your friends and the studio.  _

He was still so confused at this point, but the figure seemed to notice this and chuckled.

_ I know you want an explanation, Henry. Walk with me. I have some things to show you. _

The animator began to follow the figure, falling in line with them. They didn’t seem to really walk, more like float along the unseen floor they were on. 

The sounds of Henry’s footsteps were the only thing to break what would have been silence. The blackened area around them was suddenly lit up and Henry jumped. Images of people in what looked like clouds were now floating all around him. He didn’t pay attention at first, but when he looked around, Henry noticed that these weren’t just images. They were moving, like films… and they were showing his friends in the studio.

He stopped and watched the moving pictures, seeing various things that had happened in the studio. He saw Sammy conducting the band, Susie singing into a microphone, Wally and Norman walking as Wally moved his mop across the floor; all of them looking just a little younger. These must have happened while Henry was away. 

The figure breathed out a laugh at watching Henry gape at all of these images.  _ Amazing, isn’t it? Here, where I reside, I can see the past, present, and future of this studio, and I can see everything that’s happened within its walls. _

Henry turned on his heels to face them. “You can see everything?”

_ Well, only everything that’s happened in the studio, and everything that’s happened to you. My sight only reaches as far as inside the studio, inside all of its rooms and walls. And as far as wherever you go. _ They held up a hand.  _ I wish I could see more, but I was sent to guard you, Henry. _

He raised a brow and placed his hands in his pockets. “So, wait… who exactly are you?”

The figure smiled.  _ I’m glad you asked.  _ They clasped their hands together.  _ I am what is known as a guardian angel. I come from a place where angels watch over the world and all of the people we made. We made this world, Henry, from the beginnings of the universe and with anything that we could. We slowly built this world and its smaller worlds, and we built life on this world. We made the first people of this world and the first animals, and we built everything that life needed to grow and flourish here. _

Henry looked at them with wide eyes and he suddenly felt faint. He had just been told the answer to one of life’s biggest mysteries and he couldn’t handle the sudden truth that had been dropped on him. He almost passed out on the spot and the figure rushed to him, holding him up when his feet threatened to give out under him. 

_ Henry,  _ they asked.  _ Henry, are you alright? _

He nodded softly when he managed to keep from falling over. He stayed in their arms for a moment, before standing on his own again. The man put a hand to his head, eyes closed. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. “It’s just… you just told me how the world was made, and people have been arguing about that since… since we could record it. It’s a lot to take in.”

_ Ahh, I see. I probably should have kept that to myself. But… I feel like I could trust you with such information. After all… you’re my creation. _

“I’m what?!”

The figure nodded.  _ Yes, Henry, I made you. I’m your guardian angel, and I was sent into this realm to watch over the studio for you. _

Henry shook his head again. This was a lot to take in. “What do you mean?”

_ Well… when you were born into the world, I watched over you. I was meant to be by your side, always. It was why you survived that building collapsing on you in the war. I knew your time wasn’t then, so I helped you heal. While you were away, I also watched the studio. I know how much the studio and your friends mean to you, so I broke away from you occasionally to watch over your friends. _

Henry suddenly was struck with a thought and felt himself frown. “So, wait… if you watched over the studio, why didn’t you stop Joey when he did all that black magic and got possessed?”

_ That’s… the problem with being a guardian angel.  _ The figure rubbed their arm.  _ You can only reach out and actually help those you created or were sent to protect. It’s against our code to interfere with others’ lives that we were not sent to protect. I could watch over the studio, but I wasn’t allowed to interfere. If I did, I would be cast out. _

Henry’s frown lightened. He could understand where they were coming from and being cast out for doing something wrong must have been a terrifying thought. He nodded. “So… if you made me and had to guard me… why did you give me your powers?”

_ Well… it didn’t make the other guardian angels happy at the time, but I felt like… I wasn’t going to just let you die because of your best friend’s mistakes. I wasn’t going to just let you lose your life like that. I argued with the others, and they detested me giving you my powers for a short time. But I knew that if I didn’t, Joey would have done terrible things and we would have been forced to… end his life. And Joey’s guardian certainly did not want that. So I brought you here and gave you my powers. _

Their words gave Henry shivers in a way he couldn’t describe. He didn’t realize the extent of what would have happened had he not stopped Joey. Joey really would have taken his wrath outside the studio and could have really hurt people. He had thought about this before, but the figure’s words truly confirmed what he thought would have happened. He looked away for a moment.

_ I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you the reasoning for giving you those powers sooner, Henry. I just didn’t think you would question it like you did today. But I know humans are curious creatures who want an explanation for everything. I figured I might as well give you one for what happened almost four years ago. _

The figure looked somber. Henry held out a hand. “Hey, it’s alright.” When they looked up at him with surprise, he gave them a sincere smile. “I think that… you were just doing what you felt was right in your heart, and it really saved not only my life, but the lives of a lot of other people, including the studio workers and the cartoons. Without your help, I don’t know what would have happened to Joey and the others. You truly saved my life, and the lives of so many others who would have perished under Joey’s hand.”

The figure looked at him, mouth agape in surprise, before smiling.  _ Thank you, Henry. That means a lot to me. I was unsure if what I did was really an okay thing to do, but now I know I did the right thing. _

Henry suddenly remembered something. “By the way, you never told me your name. May I ask what it is?”

The figure chuckled.  _ It’s Annejela. I think it’s about time I send you back home. Until we meet again, Henry. _

And with that, the darkness and exhaustion enveloped Henry again, and he fell back into a deep sleep, cradled by the warmth once more. 

*****

“Henry?”

Henry’s eyes fluttered open again, and he found himself with Alice in front of him, the tiny angel looking at him with furrowed brows and clasped hands. He pushed himself up with her help and managed to get to his feet. He looked around. Everything was just as it had been in his office when he had been called by Annejela. He felt a sudden sense of peace wash over him and he smiled softly.

Alice noticed this and tilted her head. “Henry, are you okay?”

Henry looked down to her. His grin was wide and he seemed to have sparkle in his eyes. “Yeah… I’m doing pretty good, Alice.” He took one of her hands. “C’mon. Let’s go get something to eat.” 

Alice nodded and smiled, and as they walked out of his office, Henry felt something in his heart.

He felt like he had everything he wanted to know answered. And that was a wonderful feeling.

**Author's Note:**

> So, looks like Henry finally knows the truth as to why he became an angel! And he's much more at peace now!  
> I hope you liked this! I had a nice time writing it!


End file.
